Mary Ann Rollinson

Mary Ann Rollinson, 88, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, passed away at 12:45 am, March 5, 2026, at Nature Trail Health Care Center in Mount Vernon. Mary Ann (Hall) (Smith, Walton) Rollinson lived a life of stubborn determination because she was born at the end of the Great Depression on September 19, 1937. She was the eldest of six children: Betty, Patricia, David, Clarence, and Renea. She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Clyde Robert and Beatrice Elizabeth Smith (Hall) Morrison.

Besides her parents, she is preceded in death by her brother, David Hall and David's twin brother, Clarence Hall, and her sister Betty (Hall) Paul. Mary is survived by her Daughters: Patricia Dump and husband, Harold; and Cynthia Perkins and husband, William; Grandchildren: Angela Weemer and husband, Ronald; Denise Uhl and husband, Jason; Harold Dump II and wife, Sarah; Charla Hinkle; and Jennifer Stigers and husband, Tyron; Great-grandchildren, Zackary Weemer; Jacob and Gabriel Uhl; Amber Hinkle; Zachary Hinkle and Alexys Farley; Vincent and Memphis Dump; Korben Parmalee; and Saniye and Brylin Stigers; Great-great-granddaughter, Brinley Hinkle; Sisters, Patricia Jennings and husband, Lavoid; and Renea Franklin and husband, Rick; and Sister-in-law, Carol Hall.

Mary left school in 1955 to marry Arthur Smith and begin a family. After the birth of their first child, Patricia Ann, she joined her husband in California and Oregon, where he was stationed in the Navy. They had three more children Cheryl Lynn, Arthur Frederick, and Cynthia Louise. Cheryl and Arthur Frederick preceded her in death. In 1960, Arthur and Mary divorced. In 1961, she married Charles E. Walton, Jr. Their marriage lasted twenty-five years, before he preceded her in death in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

During these years, Mary worked many jobs, but she was most proud of being the manager of the Granada Theater in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. She was a member of Mount Vernon BPW, Business and Professional Women. She founded the Mt. Vernon Toys for Tots program, which until then, had not expanded into Mt. Vernon, nor become the US Marines' program it is known as today. She also began a series of summer, free movies for underprivileged children (but any child was allowed to attend). These accomplishments earned her the BPW Business Woman of the Year Award for her dedication to those efforts.

After the death of Charles, she married John Rollinon, retired, and moved to Centralia, Illinois. There she earned her GED and attended Kaskaskia College. She considered these her greatest personal accomplishments-other than the pride she had in her children and their children.

Mary loved her family, reading books, playing Bingo, creating artistic works, and fishing. While she lived at Nature Trail Health and Rehab Center, she became known as "Grandma." Many of the residents and staff will miss her smile and stated, they "loved her."

After her baptism in 1955, followed by her parents' baptism in the months following, she held a quiet belief in Christ that followed her through the many churches she attended. Mary knew she was not perfect, and her daughters remember how she consoled them, "Do as I say, not as I do."

During the final days of her Hospice care, she said she could hear the angels singing and was ready to go to her two babies "Freddy and Sherry" (who had preceded her in death). Because of her life experiences, she taught love and forgiveness were the two most important virtues.

Pallbearers: Harold Dump II, Vincent Dump, Zackary Weemer, Jacob Uhl, Tyron Stigers, and Korben Parmalee.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Hughey Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

A second visitation will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Rea Funeral Chapel in Sedalia, Missouri, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sedalia, Missouri.

Memorials may be made in Mary's honor to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.